25 April 2009

How to solve the world's financial problems

It might help humanity if we all offer some suggestions on what to do to alleviate suffering and want.

Here is my effort:

If you don't have any money - just don't spend any. Use barter, start a community garden, house share, learn new skills by reading useful books from a library and put the knowledge into practice.

If you have plenty of money - spend it on socially and environmentally useful products and services. Avoid gambling, whether on the stock market or in a casino, unless you are absolutely sure the odds are 95% in your favour.

Whether you have money or not, live peacefully. It's much less costly than being violent, and far more productive.

Avoid being wasteful in all sorts of ways.

Avoid overusing and exhausting any resource.

Encourage your government to support socially and environmentally useful businesses, especially the ones that are not capital intensive.